Toothpick



Aug. 2l, 1923.

R. E. LUNDAY TOOTHPICK Filed Sept. 25 1922 IN VEN TOI? A TTHNEYS Patented Aug. 21,` 1923.

miran si res;

RUSSELL EDWARDA LUNDAY, or. vALLEJo, cALI-ORN1A.

'Y 'roorrirrcirY i Y Application led'September 25, 19.22. Serial No. 590,428;

To all lwhom t mag/.concern l Be it known that. I, RUSSELL EDWARD LUNDAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vallejo, in the county of Solano and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toothpicks, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description. v Y

My'invention relates to improvementsv in tooth picks, and it consistsfin 'the combinations, constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed. n

kAn obfect of my .invention istovprovide a tooth pick which is adapted-to be readily secured to the tongue ofthe user, whereby the' inner sides of thel'teeth may be cleaned.

A further object ofmy inventionis to provide a device of the character described which has novel means for holding the device to the tongue of the user. y

A further object o f my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is made of a resilient material whereby it will readily conform to the tongue.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is durable and efficient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

y invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis application in which- Figure l1 is a perspective view of the device shown operatively applied,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the device, and

Figure 3 is a vertical section through theV device.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a cup-shaped member 1, which is preferably made of thin rubber or other pliable material. The member 1 has flat upper and lower walls, 2 and 3. The curved walls 4 and 5 are adapted to conform to the contour of the tongue. The member 1 also has a pick 6, which projects outwardly therefrom, and which is provided with a point 7. The walls of the pick 6 merge into the walls of the casing 1, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The pick 6 is conical shaped and has its wall roughened as at 8. In this manner, the pick 6 and the wall 8- are adapted to remove the articles of food of the teeth. i .Y

The casing `1 has novel means for securing itselfrto the tongue. In Figures2 [and i mm2? from the inner surfaces .l

into the casingf'l.` It is Y'obvious thatfa'ir'fin acompartment 13 formedby thediaphragm 10 andthe casing 1 will beA expelled through the opening 11. d The tongue 12"*can now close the opening11, whereupon a vacuum will be createdV in the compartment 13 when thefdiaphragm '10 tends to return to normal position. This'vacuum in the compartment 13 is sufficient to hold the casing 1 upon the tongue 12. l Y

vA furthermeans for holding the casing 1 to thetongue 12 is'provided and comprises a fiber strip 14 which is disposed on the inner surface of the walls 4: and 5, (see Figure 2). rIhe fibers 15 are inclined toward the pick 6 and it will therefore be apparent that any movement of the device with respect to the tongue will'cause the devicer to more firmly grip the tongue.V The fiber 15 permits the device to be moved onto the. tongue, but prevents theV Ydevice from being removed from the tongue.

From 'the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may bel readily understood. In Figures 2 and 3y I have shown the device operatively applied to the teeth 9. In applying the device to the tongue the casing l is inserted into the mouth and the tongue l12 disposed therein. As heretofore stated, the end of the tongue fleXes the diaphragm V10 and also closes the opening 11, whereby the vacuum within the compartment 13 will hold the device in place. Furthermore, thefibers 15 will tend to prevent the movement of the casing 1 with respect to the tongue, and will more securely hold'the device in place. It is obvious, however, that the device may beV manually moved from the tongue when the person using the device'so wishes. The tongue can now be moved so as to insert'the pick 6 into the crevices between the teeth. Furthermore, the roughened surface 8 will also scrape the `Vfood from the teeth. The tongue can be Vmoved so as to insert the pick 6 between any of the teeth desired, Ywhereupon the interior of Ythe mouth can be very thoroi'ighly cleansed of food particles. With the ordinary tooth pick it is impossible to remove the particles of food from the inner surfaces of the teeth. The present device 'can' The device is very simple in construction,

and 'can be manufactured at va slight eX pense. The device provides a novel means for removing 'all 4particles of food from the inner sides of the teeth. The rdevice is very small andmay ,be readily carried inthe pocliet .or pocketbook 'of the user.

`1 claim: ytooth vpick comprising a casing adaptedto enclose a portion of the tongue, an integral pick` projecting from said casing,means for holding 'the casing to "the tongue, said means comprising 'a resilient diaphragm having anopening therein, said diaphragm being adapted to engage with the tongue. Y

2...:.A toothH pick comprising "a casing adapted to enclose a portion of thetongue,

3. A tooth pick comprising a casing adaptedto enclose a portion of the tongue, f

an integral vpick projecting from said casing, means for holding the casing to the tongue, said means comprising va lresilient Adiaphragm "ha-ving an opening therein, Isaid diaphragm being adapted'to engage With the tongue and inwardly extending fibers adapted to engage With the'tongue'.

4. 'A tooth pick comprisinga casing'haw ing an integral pick, said pick having'a roughened outer surface', diaphragm mounted insaid casing and having an opening, and inwardly extending Yfibers carried by the inner surface of said'casingyan'dfbe# ing adapted to engageV With "thetongue.v

Y5. A tooth pick comprising 'an Vcasing hav` ing anjintegral pick, said ipick having a roughened outer surface. p Y

'6, A 'tooth pick comprising a single 4ipiece of 'material' fashioned into cupishaped portion, said cupfshaped portion merging into a pick, the pick having a roughened outer surface. l

RUSSELL EDWARD LUNDAY. 

